Customer Reviews

If You Believe [VHS]

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many good Christmas movies have a redemptive theme, such as A Christmas Carol. Some Christmas movies build their theme around self discovery, such as It's a Wonderful Life; and some Christmas movies plead with us to rediscover the Kid within us, such as A Christmas Story or Home Alone. If You Believe weaves all these themes together into a magical story.

The Plot is simple: Susan Stone has worked hard to squeeze all the magic out of her life until she is left lonely, disillusioned, and on the fast track to be fired from her publishing job. Her younger self appears, forces her to take chances, and to rediscover the magic of life. What keeps this story from being just another cliche are the other characters that appear throughout the story: The lawyer from Connecticut, Thom Weller, who has written a weird but funny novel about his physic family; Robin the assistant, who is terrified of Susan; Dorinda, the office competitor who specializes in dirty books; and Mark, the with-it Editor with lots of savey.

The journey is what makes this story a pleasure and reminds one that recovery from self inflicted pain can take place only if one begins to believe in one's self. This very simple film has become a family Christmas tradition.

I saw this on TV a few years ago. At the time I had just gone through a divorce and was pretty sour on men. This movie sucked me right in; it played with my awareness on several different levels, and the casting was wonderful. I finally found the DVD this year, and bought it in a hearbeat. It has now joined the growing stack of movies to watch at Holiday time every year!

What A Treasure This Movie Is...I Bought It A While Ago On VHS, I Loved It!! I Bought The Dvd As Soon As I Saw It, It Is One Of The Best Christmas Movies Ever Done!!! The Cast Is Sooo Terrific...Ally Walker Is At Her Best And Hayden Penettiere Is Very Entertaining & Fun, Tom Amandes Is Always Enjoyable And Here He Shines!!! Great Sunday Afternoon Movie!!!

After having a fight with her brother during Thanksgiving, a divorced, bitter, & cynical book editor on the verge of losing her job, Susan Stone (called "Suzie" when she was a child) played by Ally Walker, gets to see her old self through her inner child (played by Hayden Panettiere) after she bumps her head on the pavement during the holiday rush. Little Suzie is not pleased with the way Susan has been living her life & is determined to turn Susan into the person she used to be. The catch is that it is only Susan who could see Suzie & this causes Susan some awkward moments. Nevertheless, it is Suzie's persistence that makes Susan realize that she has been missing out on life.

This is a Christmas Classic that would be enjoyed for years to come.

I didn't know anything about the movie. I picked up the movie from a moving sale. The storyline seemed pretty interesting. I love movies that inspire to live a better life. I am mesmerized by the movie. It is so heartwarming and uplifting. When I checked the rating of the movie in Amazon I felt good knowing that a lot of people liked it too! I love movie reviews in Amazon, they are done more humanly than like a serious film critic. If you have not watched this movie please give it a try.

...you will love "If You Believe". I was searching for this film and am thrilled to be able to order it on DVD. This made for television Christmas film has stayed with me since it first aired. It spoke to my often neglected *Inner child* and how we, as adults, sometimes lose that very special and sweet part of ourselves. You can read about the movie's particulars in the words above this review so I will only say that it has heart, a joyful spirit and a tender message. How sad it is when we grow up and lose what is innocent and dear and trusting about ourselves. All too often life is not an easy ride but to lose our childlike gentle spirit, sense of whimsy and the ability to believe in something we can not see is the real enemy. This movie reinforces this belief.
A treasure to be watched with the entire family. I look forward to sharing it with my daughter this year. I well remember watching it with our son when it was first on television. What he first believed to be a *chick flick* soon captivated him just as it did me.
See it, enjoy it, share it!

of watching this movie; it's unlike any other. The whole inner child idea is such a clever way to get the main character to find out what she's really about. Hayden Panieterre is excellent as the inner child - she's so feisty! I too have tried to purchase this movie for a couple of years - am keeping my fingers crossed!

Honestly, I am not usually into feel-good Christmas movies but this one is WONDERFUL! I have actually tried to buy the movie for the last couple of years and have finally found a way to order it (hopefully they're not "out of stock"). It's not a typical Christmas movie - it can be seen any time throughout the year. It's so fantastic and so "real" that you can't help but wonder why this was a made-for-Lifetime TV movie and not on the big screen. Watch it, it's a treasure!

What a great movie. We watch this every year. Charming, funny, sad, great reminder to slow down and smell the roses, etc. I LOVE Ally Walker, perfect for this role!

It is so easy to get into the characters in this story "If You Believe" - to relate to what they're experiencing and to feel the joy of the star's laughter as she gets to know who she really is and how she can change herself. I recommend this hightly!!!